As multiple sheet materials are fed by the material feeder to the next processing machine upon processing of sheet materials, it may possibly cause the processing machine to get out of order.
In order to prevent a fault of such a processing machine, sheet materials must be fed from the material feeder one by one to the next step.
For the material feeder, it is thus required to make sure separation of one sheet material from the laminated sheet materials.
Although depending on the types of sheet materials, there are some sheet materials laminated together, each one having a lubricating oil, etc. on its smooth surface. Such sheet materials are kept in close contact with one another, and when the uppermost sheet material only is lifted up, multiple sheet materials are often lifted up due to the adsorption action created by a vacuum between the surfaces in close contact with one another.
Such sheet materials separation may be achieved by curling up the end of the sheet material to create a gap partly between that sheet material and a sheet material coming in contact with its lower surface and enlarging that gap entirely between that sheet material and the sheet just below it.
For an apparatus for creating a gap partly between that sheet material and a sheet material coming into contact with its lower surface, there is a sheet materials separation apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-205373.
This sheet materials separation apparatus comprises a linearly reciprocating actuator, a catching mechanism for catching an end of that sheet material, and a parallel linkage mechanism for converting the reciprocating linear motion of the actuator into an arc motion of the catching mechanism while maintaining its posture, wherein the catching mechanism that is driven by the actuator to move circularly while maintaining its posture catches and curls up the uppermost sheet.